St Peter’s Episcopal Church, Parsonage Road, Galashiels, Diocese of Edinburgh. ST PETER’S CHURCH PROFILE CHURCH AND CONGREGATION St Peter’s Church is located on Parsonage Road in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders and has been in existence for 165 years. The church is situated near the centre of the town on the A7 heading South. St Peter’s is a friendly, small, welcoming and enthusiastic church with a desire to grow and share the good things God has given us with the community. We are already active in the community but seek now to grow our congregation for the benefit of the church and the wider community. We have changed as a church in the way we view ministry and leadership, and are looking for a Priest who will suggest and inspire new things in the congregation, challenge what we currently do, and equip us for the journey. St Peter’s church is home to about 100 members and has a core of regular worshippers of around 60. Some ten years ago a decision was taken to remove the pews and renew the floor in the main church. The church now seats around 100. New layout from the back There is a recently refurbished hall which is also used by church groups and the general public. This means that the church and the adjoining hall are well used every day by the local community and it is not unusual for Zumba groups, children’s ballet and music groups to be found on the premises at various times during the day and in the evenings. The vestry/church office is situated off the chancel of the church. Memorial garden
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St Peter’s Episcopal Church, Parsonage Road, Galashiels,
Diocese of Edinburgh.
ST PETER’S CHURCH PROFILE
CHURCH AND CONGREGATION
St Peter’s Church is located on Parsonage Road in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders and has been in existence for 165 years. The church is situated near the centre of the town on the A7 heading South.
St Peter’s is a friendly, small, welcoming and enthusiastic church with a desire to grow and share the good things God has given us with the community. We are already active in the community but seek now to grow our congregation for the benefit of the church and the wider community.
We have changed as a church in the way we view ministry and leadership, and are looking for a Priest who will suggest and inspire new things in the congregation, challenge what we currently do, and equip us for the journey.
St Peter’s church is home to about 100 members and has a core of regular worshippers of around 60.
Some ten years ago a decision was taken to remove the pews and renew the floor in the main church. The church now seats around 100.
New layout from the back
There is a recently refurbished hall which is also used by church groups and the general public. This means that the church and the
adjoining hall are well used every day by the local community and it is not unusual for Zumba groups, children’s ballet and music groups to be found on the premises at various times during the day and in the evenings. The vestry/church office is situated off the chancel of the church.
Memorial garden
Charity cheque presentation
Charity group in the hall
.
Messy Church
There is a kitchen and good storage facilities. The loft has been converted to “house” the stock for the Food Bank run by the Galashiels Fellowship of Churches
There are 3 Sunday services. On the 1st Sunday of each month at 9.30am there is a Sunday Squad service in the hall.
Sunday Squad at work
On the 3rd Sunday of each month between April and October at 8.30am where the 1970 Liturgy is used, with an attendance of around 6.
The main service is at 10.30am, a sung Eucharist, with an attendance of around 40.
A Family service is held at 10.30am on the 3rd Sunday of each month.
There is a Eucharist on Thursday morning at 10.00a.m. held in the church hall.
During the summer a monthly Afternoon Tea service is held for those less able to attend church.
Inner wheel ladies
Brindley & Foster organ
Music supports our worship and St Peters has a choir and music is provided by a Brindley & Foster organ, which has recently been overhauled.
The church membership can best be described as mature but attendances at the 9.30am services and Messy Church are encouraging and it is to be hoped that a large number will eventually attend as adults.
Sunday Squad at Easter and on Sea Sunday
At the moment, the church has a Shared Leadership Team in place. This consists of six members of the congregation who were “called out” by the congregation as a whole. Collectively their duties cover pastoral care, home communions, sacristan and servers, reserved sacrament when there is no ordained clergy, actively encouraging members of the congregation to be involved in all
services as leaders, readers, intercessors. Liaising with and being advised by the Interim Pastor. Spiritual Development. Prepare service sheets using the lectionary for collects, and readings. Administration including printing the service sheets, editing and printing the church magazine. Working with the Vestry regarding the practicalities of caring for the congregation and the church buildings. The work of St Peter’s is greatly enhanced by the range of activities which we support and which contribute to the life and growth of the church. Community Prayer Response Bible study group Sunday Squad 3rd Gala Boys Brigade Local A.T.C. group Soup ‘n’ Pud Lunches and other fundraising events Messy Church Outreach in the local Residential Homes with services at Easter, Harvest and Christmas. Monthly Communion services are held at Oakwood Park Residential Home. Galashiels Fellowship of Churches. There is a small ACAT (Action by Christians Against Torture) group – joint with Holy Trinity, Melrose We Support the TD1 Youth Hub
Several members belong to Cursillo in Scotland St Peter’s is a Fair Trade church We are also represented at the Area Council which encompasses all the Episcopal Churches in the Scottish Borders.
Gala Day Breakfast at St Peter’s
The Lead Evangelist will live in St Peter's Rectory which is located near the church on Parsonage Road. It is a semidetached Victorian building. There is a large lounge, a good sized study, living room, kitchen, utility room and downstairs cloakroom. Upstairs there are three large double bedrooms, one with a small en-suite and a large family bathroom. Ample car parking and a mature garden.
St Peter’s Rectory from the drive
Noah’s Ark – winning float
Rolling Easter Eggs outside the church
A member of our church family on her wedding day
Wildlife garden at St Peter’s
ST PETER’S CHURCH PROFILE GALASHIELS TOWN
St Peter’s Church is located on Parsonage Road in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders and has been in existence for 165 years. The church is situated near the centre of the town on the A7 heading South.
Galashiels is a small, historic town,
originally built beside the River Gala which was used to power its numerous woollen mills. The town is a major commercial centre for the Borders region.
Bank Street Gardens
Pipe Band at the War Memorial
The population of the town is around 15,000 and most are now employed in Local Government, the large supermarkets or in the large local hospital. Agriculture still features, but the farms are smaller than in the past and do not employ the same numbers of labourers as previously. Many people now commute to Edinburgh, which is only 32 miles away and can be reached easily by car, bus and the recently reopened Borders railway.
Pedestrian bridge over the Gala Water connecting the
new transport interchange with the centre of town
Galashiels Railway Station
Social facilities are good. The town
has a cinema, a swimming pool, a library and is well served by a number of restaurants. Sports facilities are first class and the town has very competitive teams in Rugby, Soccer, Cricket, Tennis and has both outdoor and indoor Bowling greens
A number of choirs are based in the town and the Amateur Operatic Society presents an excellent performance every March.
Langlee Community Choir in St Peter’s
In common with most of the other Border towns, Galashiels hosts an excellent summer festival known as “The Braw Lads Gathering “. At least 300 supporters follow the Braw Lad and Lass on horseback as they “ride the marches” on the first Saturday in July.
Braw Lads Gathering crossing the Tweed
This is the culmination of a week of celebrations which include a number of ride outs, a swimming gala and a fancy dress parade. The people of the town come out in huge numbers to support all of the events, bringing to the fore the attributes of local pride, honour and tradition.
The town has six primary schools distributed geographically around the town which feed the local Academy (A Roll of about 900 pupils).
St Peter’s Primary School is located across Parsonage Road from the Rectory.
St Peter’s Primary School which has strong connections with the Church
Galashiels Academy
Borders College/Herriot Watt Campus Borders College is based in the town as is a campus of Heriot Watt University which boasts brand new student accommodation.
Borders General Hospital Local health care is provided by a number of G.P. practices, dentists and the Borders General Hospital (3 miles out of the town)
GALASHIELS FELLOWSHIP OF CHURCHES
Old Parish & St Paul's Church of Scotland
Scott Crescent, Galashiels Sunday Worship 11.00 am
Joint Evening Service with St John's 6.30pm St John's
Church of Scotland Hawthorn Road, Langlee, Galashiels
Sunday Worship Morning Worship 10.15am
Joint Evening Service at 6.30pm
Trinity Church of Scotland
High Street, Galashiels (Linked with Caddonfoot)
Sunday Worship Caddonfoot 9.45 am
Trinity 11.15 am
Stow (Linked with Heriot)
Sunday Heriot 9.30 am Stow 11.00 am
Hope Community Church Tweedbank
Sunday Worship 4.00 pm
Galashiels Baptist Church Victoria Street
Sunday Worship - Morning Service 10.30am
Our Lady and St Andrew's R C Stirling Street, Galashiels
Confessions Saturday Mass 5.15 pm Vigil Mass 6.00 pm
Sunday Mass 11.30 am
St Peter's Episcopal Church Abbotsford Road, Galashiels
Eucharist 10.30am
OTHER FAITHS
Chaplaincy Centre Interfaith
Borders General Hospital
Borders Islamic Centre Roxburgh Street, Galashiels
